Four Reasons To Get Your Attendees Up and Drawing
Women’s issues have always been close to my heart. Helping young women feel empowered is the reason I co-authored and illustrated Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles, a book series for tween girls.
So when Girl’s Inc. asked me to graphic facilitate the Sisters In Solidarity International Women’s Day Celebration (#PressForProgress) in Richmond, CA. The answer was an easy “YES”!
The event promoted leadership, empowerment and support for the #MeToo campaign. There was storytelling, singing, and powerful keynotes by local politicians. With attendees ranging in age from 10-85, I thought it would be valuable to hear what “Progress” meant to each of them. So I created a template with the question “What Does Progress Mean to You?” on it, left markers nearby, and invited people to draw and write on it when inspiration struck them throughout the day. And they did! There are wonderful words and drawings of what progress means to the individuals who were there.
This simple activity accomplishes 4 things:
It shifts the experience from attendee to collaborator.
It allows ALL voices to be heard. A lot of people won’t speak up, but they will happily write or draw their ideas.
It’s an easy way to collect data, and much more fun than filling out a survey.
Most importantly, it shifts us out of our linear thinking left brain and into our imaginative, visual right brain. Even five minutes of right brain activity will shift our brains into a creative mode, thereby increasing our creativity.
I highly recommend doing this at your next meeting or event, even if you don’t have a graphic facilitator with you. Just roll in a white board or tape up a large sheet of butcher paper. This is very useful during corporate meetings, particularly when people have been sitting and taxing their left brains all day.
